PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED

Chapter 2 from Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire makes it clear that banking education is the wrong way of teaching while problem-posing education is the right way. Banking education is a very teacher centered style of teaching. During class the teacher talks and tells students information, it’s the student’s job to remember that information. The chapter says the teacher is considered the oppressor and the students are the oppressed. Students are being treated like objects and not like human beings. This type of classroom has not student voice. Problem-posing education makes information more meaningful. Students are not supposed to just memorize as much information as they can, they are supposed to make meaning of it. This is when students think critically and try to solve the problem. This process requires the teacher and student to work together. Sometimes they can switch roles and the student can be the teacher. Students could teach other students. There is no dictator in the classroom. Problem-posing education helps the students use their creativity and does a way better job preparing them for the real world. Banking education is not a realistic way of learning, because they might have information memorized, yet they might not know how to apply it. In today’s world memorizing information is not as important as it once was, with technology students can have access to information at any time.

As teachers we need to make sure that we are not just giving student’s information and expect them to remember it. We need to make our students think critically. If a student has a question it is important to address that question. Teachers should make their students think deeper and not just be sitting robots memorizing everything.  The most important person in the room is not the teacher, but the students. The teacher should constantly address the student’s needs.